An Electronic Publication of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council June is LGBTQ Pride Month June 2019 Edition | Volume 14 Issue 3 Read, Pass on to Friends, Don’t 1. When We Better Serve Family Members, Colleagues Miss an Issue! 2. Disclose or Not Disclose & Constituents It is the policy of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council 3. The Shoulders We Stand On to use person-fi rst language in items written by staff. Items reprinted or quoted exactly as they originally appear 4. LGBTQ Milestones may not refl ect this policy. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. The Stonewall riots were a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. In the United States the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as “Gay Pride Day,” but the actual day was fl exible. In major cities across the nation the “day” soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBTQ Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. Through the voices of individuals from within the LGBTQ community, we clarify terms, identifi y issues, and provide historical perspective. Additionally, we inclued milestones and facts. When We Better Serve the Most Kim Welter, Director of Marginalized Around Us, Finance and We Better Serve Everyone Policy, Equality Ohio. I was born a lesbian. Did I know I was a lesbian then? Gender Of course not. Like everyone else, I grew into puberty pronouns: she, and came to understand my physical and emotional her, hers attractions in the same way everyone else does. In my case, however, I realized I was attracted to women, not men. -READ MORE- Page 1 Disclose or Not Disclose Courage replaces fear when you are passionate about your Mission. The following is a summary of Dr. Patricia Hicks, ReachOut e-Diversity Newsletter Grantee, interview with Michael Denlinger, ODDC Council Member -READ MORE- Michael Denlinger, ODDC Council Member The Shoulders We Stand On I’ve been many things in my lifetime, but a good history student was never one of them. Anyone who raised or educated me- teachers, parents, counselors- knew that my left-brained strengths were far more acclimated to subjects like drama, music, and photography than any of the rote subjects in which I had to memorize names, dates, and places. As I acquired a bit of history myself, though, I’m realizing that my need for thoughtful historical study is driven by the portion of the word that’s most important. The story. It’s vital we understand the whys more than the whens or the wheres; thus we begin to weave a tapestry so complex, it shows us how we as individuals fi t into its Troy Anthony Harris global cloth. -READ MORE- LGBTQ Milestones Here is some background information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender milestones in the United States. -READ MORE- Using the ODDC platforms, we invite you to learn, clarify, and share. The purpose of “Reach Out” e-Diversity newsletter is to promote interagency collaboration and coordination that result in agencies providing culturally competent services to the unserved/underserved populations in Ohio Reach Out e-Diversity News is produced by The Outcomes Management Group, Ltd. This product is funded all or in part by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council. Page 2 An Electronic Publication of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council June 2019 Edition | Volume 14, Issue 3 When We Better Serve The Most Marginalized Around Us, We Better Serve Everyone Kim Welter, Director of Finance and Policy Equality Ohio Gender pronouns: she, her, hers I was born a lesbian. Did I know I was a lesbian then? Of course not. Like everyone else, I grew into puberty and came to understand my physical and emotional attractions in the same way everyone else does. In my case, however, I realized I was attracted to women, not men. Growing up in the 1970s, I didn’t know there was such a thing as, let alone a word for, lesbian. When I asked my pastor about it, he told me not to worry and that I “would grow out of it.” Eighteen years later and a very unsuccessful marriage to the fi rst man that wanted to marry me, I fi nally came to understand that I was a lesbian. The realization was instantaneous and made so much sense out of my life. I am part of the LGBTQ community. LGBTQ is an acronym that attempts to be fully inclusive of people who are sexual orientation and/or gender identity diverse. Most people in the world are born with a sexual orientation of heterosexual (straight) and their understanding of themselves as a gendered person matches what was assigned to them on their birth certifi cate at birth – that M or F in the sex box (cisgender). According to the Williams Institute, about 4.3% of Ohio’s population has a different experience growing up with regards to sexual orientation and/or gender identity.1 We call them LGBTQ people, which stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer. I could use more letters with more labels––and would be happy to at an in-person training. 1 https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/visualization/lgbt-stats/?topic=LGBT&area=39#density The following defi nitions are from the website www.welcomingschools.org Lesbian: A term describing a woman who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to some other women. Gay: A term that describes a person who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to some members of the same gender. Page 3 Bisexual: A term that describes a person who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to people of more than one sex, gender or gender identity, though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree. Transgender or Trans: An umbrella term that describes people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth: A term used to describe people who identify as a different gender from the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation; transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc. Queer: A term some people use to identify themselves with a flexible and inclusive view of gender and/or sexuality. Also used interchangeably with LGBTQ to describe a group of people such as “queer youth.” It is also seen in academic fields, such as queer studies or queer theory. Historically it has been used as a negative term for LGBTQ people. Some people still find the term offensive while some embrace the term as an identity. LGBTQ people are not a homogenous population. We are generally born to straight parents of all races, national origins, ethnicities, socio-economic status, religion, ancestry and so forth. We come in all colors, shapes, abilities and sizes. As such, we are not, generally, raised in an LGBTQ culture––this is the reason why community celebrations such as Pride and community institutions such as LGBTQ centers are important. They serve as gathering points for community. Because our community is so diverse (and in some ways, still emerging), many of our words and meanings are in flux. Ask us the definition of Queer for example and you’re likely to get different answers from each of us. In my trainings, I recommend that if someone uses a term around their LGBTQ identity, ask them to tell you more about what it means to them so that you are both on the same page with what is being discussed. In Ohio, it is still legal to fire an LGBTQ person, refuse them housing or service in a place of business. This is discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity. While there have been efforts, most of them successful, to pass local ordinances in various cities around Ohio, the state legislature has yet to pass a law that covers the entire state. I live near Grandview Heights, Ohio. The boundary lines between Grandview Heights and Columbus are not clear to the average person, including me. Columbus has a local ordinance protecting my rights but Grandview Heights does not. I am quite literally protected on one side of the street but not on the other when near my home. That means I probably lose my civil rights on my daily commute. Because of the work I do, I often hear stories of discrimination. These stories often include being treated in a hostile manner in a work environment, being refused an apartment based solely on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, being refused health care, being fired when outed by someone, being denied a promotion, not being provided correct clothing and medication when incarcerated, being refused service in a homeless shelter, or having to resort to survival crimes after being thrown out of your home by hostile parents. The list goes on. Even more prevalent is the effect that fear of this kind of treatment has on LGBTQ people. I’ve known people who avoid getting necessary health care, contacting law enforcement when a crime occurs or seeking in-home elder care services for fear of being mistreated.